On October 23, President Xi Jinping announced the official opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) at a ceremony in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, marking the inauguration of the largest sea-spanning bridge in the world.

Crossing the Pearl River Delta, the 55-km, Y-shaped bridge consists of two artificial islands, an underwater tunnel and a series of bridges. As direct road connections between the east and west along the Lingding Channel, the HZMB integrates Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) and Zhuhai.

The project, which began construction in 2009, involved an investment of 126.9 billion yuan ($18.3 billion). It will strengthen exchange in economy and trade in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as facilitate transportation for relevant industries such as logistics and food, among others.

The HZMB will bring convenient round-the-clock services for travelers in the Greater Bay Area, for instance, cutting the travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai to 30 minutes from 210 minutes.

Under the "one country, two systems" policy, the HZMB is the first maritime transportation project jointly operated by the Central Government and the two SARs.

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

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